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The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2018 7:41 pm
by VikingBlues
My wonderful friend shown in my avatar is no longer with us on this plane of existence.

It was kind and merciful to release him before his heart condition became too painful for him and he went peacefully, but it's so bloody sad and heartbreaking. So many things today remind us of him - like his muddy footprints on the stairs.

One day I might manage a tribute to him in music but all I can manage now is a short bitter piece trying to put my feelings into music.

The motif at the beginning appears 10 times, one for each complete year of his life.
The 11th time it appears it is a flawed version of the motif representing the 11th year that was denied to him.
Rest in peace my faithful friend - we love you and miss you.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 3:33 pm
by 12bar
Very sad news indeed, but you have done the last good thing you can do. We had a cat for over 12 years and had to do the same, it got worse everyday.
Your first tribute is very dark and minimalistic, but captured your current mood very well.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 7:44 pm
by VikingBlues
Thank you Gerd. :D

It's always a painful process - we've been through it with a cat and a dog before ... but it doesn't get any easier.
I have every sympathy for you with your pain of going through it too with your cat.

We thought we'd lost him last year, but emergency treatment let him recover and the medication he went on then gave him another year - so we can be thankful for that.

I tried noodling on a guitar again this morning - but rather harsh and a discordant music arose. Part of the process I guess.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 9:08 pm
by 12bar
Sometimes life is hard - I'm just back from hospital, my second daughter suddenly felt ill and needed an appendectomy. It was only a few hours from a nice weekend to the operating room. Luckily everything went fine, just in time. A few hours later and...

Any plans for a new dog?

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 8:45 am
by VikingBlues
Now - that is serious stuff. Very glad it worked out well, and I hope your daughter recovers quickly. :fingerscrossed:

Nearly a year ago and shortly after we nearly lost Theo when his heart condition flared up, we brought another dog into the fold to share our lives.
A Cocker Spaniel (working Cocker rather than a Show Cocker) - we have called him Tiree. The name of a Scottish Island - his mother was named after a Scottish Island so we thought we'd continue the tradition.

A recent picture:-
Image

and when much younger:-
Image

He's a real bundle of energy and isn't allowing us to sit around moping! I don't think it makes the process of coping with the loss of Theo any easier - it's just different, and I suppose it's beneficial in that the general routines don't change. Going out for a walk with no dog is no substitute for the real thing.

We had our moment with Tiree in the summer when he got bitten by an adder. Thankfully, although we didn't see him being bitten, we got him to the vet quickly enough. Also fortunately he was bitten on the leg and not the face which would have been much more dangerous.
It was a horrible 36 hours while we didn't know if he'd be OK - being young and very robust probably helped too.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:07 am
by 12bar
Sweet! :thumbsup:
I remember about the adder, you wrote about it in Summer. I didn't know that they are a problem up there! So cold and wet...

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:09 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
So Sorry to hear this VB.

Darn.... Makes me think of a couple of years back when we had to say goodbye to Bengel, our Beagle.
Even the thought can make me feel sad.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:10 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
Now, Gerd. That´s a thing... Good it went allright.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 9:22 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
There is some great news to..... HBL is gonna be a grandad for the 2nd time. Sterre, our grandchild is becoming a big sister feb next year.
WhatsApp Image 2018-09-11 at 17.59.35.jpeg
WhatsApp Image 2018-09-11 at 17.59.35.jpeg (70.17 KiB) Viewed 19242 times

Mhh will she be lefthanded :cool: :lefty:

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 7:04 am
by 12bar
Wow - she grabs that A7add9 chord perfectly! Congrats! :thumbsup: :lol:

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2018 6:45 pm
by VikingBlues
Thanks for your kind thoughts HBL. :thumbsup:

I can well understand your still getting sad thoughts about Bengel. A dog becomes such a close emotional companion.
I still get those sad thoughts kicking in sometimes for Honey (dog) and Sooty (cat) who passed away around 10 years ago.
Usually happens in the form of visualisation of the final moments at the vets. Those moments are really strong for me about Theo just now.

Great news about the new grandchild coming along. Congratulations! :D
I see Sterre is getting well trained in the art of music. Give it a few years and you might have a ukulele band.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:18 am
by Blindboy
I'm so sorry for your loss, though I'm glad that you still have a small companion. We lost two dogs in 2015 (one to poison, one to old age) and held off on getting another until this spring, when we got a dog from a rescue shelter in Santa Fe. He, of course, took a period of adjustment, but has now gotten used to us and is enriching our lives. Dogs (and other pets) come to occupy such a large part of our hearts, and they live such a short time. Here's a song that perfectly illustrates this... https://youtu.be/Q7-PfzpQcJs

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2018 5:30 pm
by VikingBlues
Blindboy wrote: Fri Sep 21, 2018 1:18 am I'm so sorry for your loss, though I'm glad that you still have a small companion. We lost two dogs in 2015 (one to poison, one to old age) and held off on getting another until this spring, when we got a dog from a rescue shelter in Santa Fe. He, of course, took a period of adjustment, but has now gotten used to us and is enriching our lives. Dogs (and other pets) come to occupy such a large part of our hearts, and they live such a short time. Here's a song that perfectly illustrates this... https://youtu.be/Q7-PfzpQcJs
That's a song with so much truth in it. Thanks for the link - I hadn't heard it before. Thanks too for your thoughts. :thumbsup:

Glad to hear that your new faithful friend is settling in, and sorry to hear about your two losses - two in one year is really tough, and for one to be poison is simply horrible.

All those good days make up for it though - they must do or we wouldn't keep going back for more.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:45 pm
by Blindboy
VikingBlues wrote: Tue Sep 25, 2018 5:30 pm Glad to hear that your new faithful friend is settling in, and sorry to hear about your two losses - two in one year is really tough, and for one to be poison is simply horrible.
Well, Mark, I'm sad to have to say that we lost Dakota today. We woke up this morning to find him paralysed from the middle of his back down. We wrestled him into the car (he was a big dog) and got him to the vet. The prognosis was very bad and we couldn't afford thousands of dollars for surgery anyway, so we had to have him put down. I held him in my arms and he went peacefully.

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2018 1:07 pm
by 12bar
Bad news again, I hope you get over it. This year is not a good one...

Re: The Life Timer Emptied

Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2018 10:07 pm
by VikingBlues
Oh No, that is awful news Rusty. I'm so sorry to hear it.
You were with him at the end and that's where we need to be for our friend. May he rest in peace.

With a really bad prognosis it's very often not fair on the dog to put them through all the surgery and pain, often with no happy ending too.

My thoughts are with you.